Soulcage

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Heaven Above. Haven Below.

This content takes place in the Haven setting of Imagindarium's Creation.

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Index / Lexica / Timeline

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"We hacked the necromancer’s minions to pieces, cornering him in his lair. We thought we had him trapped before he unleashed that wretched thing. It drove my comrades mad, feeding on their souls as that bastard laughed from up in his tower. All I could do was run…"

—Anonymous adventurer

A Soulcage, also called a Writhing Consortium, is a floating undead construct with the power to drive its enemies mad if they so much as look at it. Entire armies have fallen to the madness aura of Soulcages, their souls drained and added to the tortured mass within. Thankfully for the denizens of Haven, Soulcages are rare as keeping one in check is a perilous task even for powerful Necromancers.

Characteristics

Appearance

The Soulcage takes the form of a metal framework in a humanoid form, though it tends to lack hands or feet. These are unnecessary as the Soulcage does not need to walk, floating gracefully through the air with little resistance. A mass of tealish flame burns within, giving off an eerie glow wherever the Soulcage goes. This is no ordinary fire, but the constant writhing of numerous trapped souls bound inside the construct. Some even claim to see anguished faces in the fire, though most witnesses are insane, so this claim is debatable at best.

Most who look upon a Soulcage see a sort of warped circle in the air around it, distorting space and making it seem larger or smaller than it actually is. This is the Soulcage’s madness aura, which it passively emits due to the suffering of the souls inside of it. Those who gaze upon the construct are driven utterly mad, writhing around and muttering in incomprehensible gibberish. Only those with magical protection or an extremely strong will can stare at a Soulcage without going insane, and even they must be careful not to falter when facing one. Alternatively, those who are already insane can look at a Soulcage and not suffer any additional negative effects, which is a likely reason as to why the necromancers who create them aren’t immediately driven mad by their creation.

Behavior

If there is one word to describe the Soulcage, it would be “relentless.” They are tireless hunters, pursuing their prey over great distances if they catch traces of soul energy in the air. Once the Soulcage finds its target, it slowly approaches as its foe desperately tries not to look upon it. When it finally draws close enough, the Soulcage will extend an arm forth and use its power to absorb the soul of its victim, leaving behind only a withered husk. The soul is then added to the mass within itself, its ghastly flames burning brighter for every new addition. Should it encounter a creature unaffected by its madness aura, it will attack with blasts of ethereal fire that drain the life force from whatever they strike.

Like other undead constructs, Soulcages are unquestioningly loyal to their masters. However, the writhing of so many tortured souls within their frames means that there’s always a slight chance of the Soulcage temporarily going rogue, even with runes of binding inscribed onto it. The more souls bound to it, the higher the chance, so most necromancers will periodically drain the Soulcage of excess spirits. But in rare cases, the Soulcage becomes so powerful and erratic that not even the necromancer who created them will be able to command them. These rogue Soulcages often end up killing their masters, becoming aimless wanderers who travel the lands in search of souls.

Creating a Soulcage

To create a Soulcage, a necromancer first builds the frame that will hold the mass of souls. These frames are typically made of iron, though wealthier necromancers will build their Soulcages from more exotic metals. Once the frame is complete, the necromancer inscribes runes of binding onto it and performs a ritual that involves sacrificing several unfortunate captives to serve as fuel for the Soulcage. Once the ritual is complete, the Soulcage sparks to life, rising from the ground as its hollow insides burn with deathly fire. Finally, the necromancer imprints their will onto the Soulcage, binding it to service and ensuring that it doesn’t try to immediately kill them.

The necromancer must make sure that the ritual is absolutely perfect, as many things can go wrong when creating a Soulcage. Improper binding runes, too many sacrifices, and shoddy frames are all things that can go wrong during the process. And even when all appears to be going to plan, there is a chance that the Soulcage will fail to respond to any commands given and flee, forcing the necromancer to either hunt it down or hire someone to do it for them. Due to the threat that rogue Soulcages present, high bounties are placed on them to ensure they are swiftly dealt with.

Types of Soulcages

Lesser Soulcage

The Lesser Soulcage is the most common Soulcage seen in the ranks of necromancers and the one that comes to mind when people hear the word “Soulcage.” Even still, successfully managing to create and bind one to service is a considerable achievement for a necromancer. When not sent out to battle, necromancers usually keep their Lesser Soulcages dormant, lying in deep, underground cells to prevent them from fleeing. When defeated, the spirits bound to the Lesser Soulcage erupt from its chest like a geyser, scattering in all directions as the ghastly flame that once filled the construct fades and leaves only a lifeless frame behind.

Greater Soulcage

Exceedingly rare, even among its own kind, the Greater Soulcage is extremely difficult to create as it requires the sacrifice of hundreds of strong-willed souls to a single, house-sized frame. Only the strongest runes of binding provide even a chance of controlling a Greater Soulcage, and even then the combined will of the souls writhing within is often enough to override them without outside interference. Greater Soulcages have only been seen in the most titanic battles, where they support friendly forces with their madness aura by driving entire platoons insane at once. When defeated, the souls inside Greater Soulcages erupt with such a force that it causes an immense explosion that blows the construct to pieces, leaving only scattered metal shards and causing the very ground around it to become cursed.

Notable Individuals

TBA